sonicwbiifandomcom-20200216-history
Singin' Sam
Singin' Sam aka Harry Frankel (January 27, 1888, Springfield, Ohio -June 12, 1948, Richmond, Indiana) was a minstrel performer, vaudevillianDeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 98. and popular personality during the early days of radio. He was best known as "Singin' Sam, the Barbasol Man" for his long association with that company. Early life The son of clothing merchant Sol Frankel, Harry grew up in Danville, Kentucky, singing in various quartets, moving with his parents to Richmond, Indiana, when he was nine years old. He joined Coburn's Minstrels in 1908 and later toured with Al G. Field's Minstrels. Frankel and Joe Dunlevy were known as the "Two Blackbirds" when they performed in vaudeville theaters during the late 1920s. Career When Frankel began in radio in 1930 on WLW (Cincinnati, Ohio), sponsored by the Great States Lawn Mower Company, he started using Singin' Sam as his professional name, and he was also known at that time as "The Lawnmower Man." In New York he began as "Singin' Sam the Barbasol Man" on WABC on July 20, 1931. He disliked New York, and three years later, he returned to Richmond with vocalist Helene "Smiles" Davis, so named because of her identification with the (then new) song "Smiles" while singing to the troops during World War I. The couple married May 2, 1934 in Richmond and lived first on their farm, known as Just-a-Mere Farm, ll miles west of town on the National Road (now U.S. Route 40). They later lived on small farm on the southeast side of Richmond with a large colonial revival house with a pool and several outbuildings. In late 1934, Singin' Sam returned to broadcasting after Barbasol arranged to do his show live from Cincinnati, an easy commute. He continued with Barbasol until 1941, and during that time, he also did shows for Coca-Cola, flying to New York on alternate weeks to make transcriptions for his weekly 15-minute Refreshment Time with Singin' Sam, which aired from 1937 to 1942. In total, he made 260 transcriptions for the syndicated program. He retired about a year before his death.Associated Press, "'Singin' Sam' Dies From Heart Attack", San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Tuesday 15 June 1948, Volume LIV, Number 248, page 3. He died in hospitalAssociated Press, "'Singin' Sam' Dies From Heart Attack", San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Tuesday 15 June 1948, Volume LIV, Number 248, page 3. in Richmond of a heart attack in 1948.Morrisson-Reeves Library, Richmond, Indiana, Local History Collection Others Harry Frankel should not be confused with country singer Singin' Sam Agins (1919–1996) and others who adopted the name.Singin' Sam Agins References External links * *"The First Crooners" by Ian Whitcomb *Arcane Radio Trivia Article *Morrisson-Reeves Library Digital Collections: Singin' Sam recordings *[http://gates.mrl.lib.in.us:8080/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/coll5&CISOPTR=45&CISOBOX=1&REC=10 Screen Songs: Singin' Sam and the Famous Bouncing Ball (1934)] * Category:1888 births Category:1948 deaths Category:American radio personalities Category:American male singers Category:Musicians from Richmond, Indiana Category:People from Danville, Kentucky Category:Musicians from Springfield, Ohio Category:American male film actors Category:American male voice actors Category:Gennett Records artists Category:Burials at Earlham Cemetery, Richmond, Indiana Category:20th-century American male actors Category:Male actors from Ohio Category:Male actors from Kentucky Category:Male actors from Indiana Category:Singers from Ohio Category:Singers from Kentucky Category:Radio personalities from Ohio Category:Radio personalities from Indiana Category:Radio personalities from Kentucky